Helen J Rolfe writes contemporary women’s fiction with an emphasis on relationships and love. She enjoys weaving stories about family, friendship, secrets, and characters who face challenges and fight to overcome them. Helen enjoys creating strong female lead characters and although her stories often deal with serious issues, they always have a happy ending.

Location is a big part of the adventure in Helen’s books and she enjoys setting stories in different cities and countries around the world. So far, locations have included Melbourne, Sydney, New York, Connecticut, Bath and the Cotswolds.

Born and raised in the UK, Helen graduated from University with a business degree and began working in I.T. This job took her over to Australia and it was there that she studied writing and journalism and began writing for women’s health and fitness magazines. She also volunteered with the PR department of a children’s hospital where she wrote articles and media releases. Helen began writing fiction in 2011 and hasn’t missed the I.T. world one little bit, although the I.T. skills have come in handy of course, especially when it comes to creating and maintaining a website.

After fourteen years of living in Australia, Helen returned to the UK and now lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and their children.

I think my first favourite memory would have to be when I was little and it snowed. It was years ago but I still believed in Santa and that year he gave me a bike. I insisted I went out on it – my parents must’ve enjoyed the experience! – and I didn’t let the weather stop me at all. That year we built an igloo with our nextdoor neighbour and a snowman too, and it was completely magical.

I also remember at school, that we had a homemade postbox into which you put Christmas cards. Then every day the cards would be left on your table in class for you to open. Cards aren’t sent as much nowadays and it’s a real shame.

My next favourite Christmas memory has to be my first Christmas in Australia. I had a friend staying with me and we were in a 15th floor apartment with no air conditioning and it was so hot! But we were determined to have the full roast dinner. We went out shopping the day before but on Christmas day found we had no potatoes, so went out in search for them. We never envisaged getting stuck in a traffic jam! In the UK roads tend to be quite deserted, so this was a first. Anyway, we had a good laugh about it, but every year when I roast the potatoes it reminds me of that time.

Over the years I’ve always loved Christmas but even more so once I had my own children and they believed in Santa too. Shopping in secret was always interesting, returning to the house and hiding everything away. The problem was, I’d then forget where I’d hidden it so it would take me forever to find everything. I remember it was always a case of late nights wrapping, my husband keeping watch in case either of the children came out of their rooms and caught me, and one year we were up until well after midnight assembling a cubby house in the back garden and a toy kitchen. It’s actually far easier now they’re older, but there’s something about kids at Christmas that makes it so special.

Every year I think my favourite memory is the Christmas dinner and cooking it. It takes forever, but it’s the only time we have all the trimmings, with the pigs in blankets, the mince pies afterwards, if we have any room, and all sitting around sipping champagne.
Roll on Christmas!

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Interview

Frankie Hi Helen, Welcome to Chicks, Rogues and Scandals! Thank you for taking the time to chat with me today. Firstly, what five word’s would you use to describe yourself?

Helen Organised, curious, friendly, reliable, independent

Frankie If you could live in any era and place, When and where would it be? And Why?

Helen I think I’d love to go back to the 2000’s in Australia. It’s when I first went over there and I fell in love with the country. I was in my twenties too, with a good job and free weekends, so I’d like to do a lot more exploring!

Frankie Who was your childhood hero?

Helen Wonder Woman! I think growing up with two brothers meant I watched a lot of programs with male characters – batman, spiderman, superman. Wonder Woman was something else entirely and she was also beautiful.

Frankie What is your favourite time of the year?

Helen I would say I’m much more of a summer person than a lover of winter. When the sun shines it makes me feel so much more energetic and I love the long days and evenings too. It means we can get outside as a family which is one of my favourite things to do. I think I’m very much in love with the idea of winter rather than actual winter itself. I love photos of snow covered landscapes, log cabins, cosy fires and a small amount of that is wonderful, but not too long or I get fed up. Christmas is a fantastic time but once it’s over, I’m really, ready for the sun to come out again!

Frankie Out of all your work, who is your favourite character and why?

Helen I think I’ll always have a soft spot for Evan in Handle Me with Care. He has such a battle on his hands but he’s a gorgeous man inside and out. He’s also from Melbourne, my favourite city in the world!

Frankie Where doe’s your inspiration for your books come from?

Helen Everywhere! People I meet, places I visit, things I read. When I’m out and about I’m forever putting notes into my phone and then sending them to myself in an email. I have lots of ideas stored away in an email file so when it’s time to plan a new book I have lots of information.

Frankie What three tips would you pass on to an aspiring author?

Helen 1. Read lots. I think we learn a lot by osmosis. We widen our vocabulary, learn about character and plot development and can see how other authors put together a story.

2. Start! Sit down and get writing, and give yourself permission to write rubbish. The first draft is always messy but you can always edit a messy draft. You can’t edit a blank page!

3. Surround yourself with other authors. Writing is a lonely occupation but by talking with other writers online or in person, it can really help. It’s good to know the struggles you have are often the same as others are experiencing, and it encourages you to keep going.

Frankie If you were hosting a dinner party what three people would you invite? (They can be real/fictional, from any era)

Helen Judy Blume because I love, love, love her books. I found them to be refreshingly honest.

Nicholas Sparks, because he is a brilliant storyteller, and I would love to ask him about his writing process and where his ideas come from.

Lianne Moriarty because this woman can weave a brilliant plot! I would love to know how she does it, how she plans and finally makes a start.

Frankie Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to chat with me today, I have just one more cheeky question, just for fun . . . What is your all-time favourite naughty but nice food?

Helen Chocolate! Especially dark…

Thank you for chatting with me Helen, it was lovely having you visit.

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New York Ever After Series

Christmas at the Little Knitting Box; Book 1

Christmas is coming and New York is in full swing for the snowy season. But at The Little Knitting Box in the West Village, things are about to change …

The Little Knitting Box has been in Cleo’s family for nearly four decades, and since she arrived fresh off the plane from the Cotswolds four years ago, Cleo has been doing a stellar job of running the store. But instead of an early Christmas card in the mail this year, she gets a letter that tips her world on its axis.

Dylan has had a tumultuous few years. His marriage broke down, his mother passed away and he’s been trying to pick up the pieces as a stay-at-home dad. All he wants this Christmas is to give his kids the home and stability they need. But when he meets Cleo at a party one night, he begins to see it’s not always so easy to move on and pick up the pieces, especially when his ex seems determined to win him back.

When the snow starts to fall in New York City, both Cleo and Dylan realise life is rarely so black and white and both of them have choices to make. Will Dylan follow his heart or his head? And will Cleo ever allow herself to be a part of another family when her own fell apart at the seams?

Full of snow, love and the true meaning of Christmas, this novel will have you hooked until the final page.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but is it the time to fall in love?

As the flames on the log fire flicker and the snowflakes swirl above the New York streets, maybe this Christmas could be the one that changes everything…

When Darcy returns to Manhattan, she’s put in charge of the Inglenook Inn, a cosy boutique hotel in the heart of Greenwich Village. The Inn needs a boost in bookings if it’s to survive the competition, so Darcy is convinced that hosting Christmas this year is the answer. What she doesn’t expect is to meet a face from the past, which can only spell trouble.

Myles left England behind and took a job in New York. It’s a step forwards in his career, and has the added bonus of being nowhere near his family. He’s also hoping to avoid Christmas, the worst time of the year. But when his company puts him up at the Inglenook Inn and he recognises Darcy, it isn’t long before they clash.

When disaster strikes, can Myles and Darcy put their differences aside to make Christmas at the Inglenook Inn a success?

I am very pleased to have been asked to host an Exclusive Spotlight on Best Selling Author; Santa Montifiore and her newest release Daughters of Ireland, so sit back and enjoy.

About the Author

Santa Montefiorehas written fourteen bestselling novels, which are translated into thirty languages. She is a fascinating person herself, as sister of Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, the former British Socialite, and personal friend of the Royal Family.

Santa grew up on a farm in Hampshire and was educated at Sherborne School for Girls. She read Spanish and Italian at Exeter University and spent much of the 90s in Buenos Aires, where her mother grew up. She converted to Judaism in 1998 and married historian Simon Sebag Montefiore in the Liberal Jewish Synagogue in London. They live with their two children, Lily and Sasha in London.

With my novels, I hope to carry you away to sunnier shores, while at the same time remind you of all that is wonderful about England. Above all, they are love stories, because love is more important to me than anything else. I hope you laugh and cry in equal measure, but most vitally, escape for a while. Santa x

In Ireland 1925, the Anglo-Irish war is long over, but life will never be the same. Castle Deverill has been home to the Deverill family in West Cork for hundreds of years, until it fell prey to a devastating attack during the war. Young Celia (Deverill) Mayberry and her husband bought the estate, determined to restore it to its former glory. But not everyone is elated. Although Kitty is grateful to her cousin for ensuring the castle will remain in the family, she cannot help but be wistful for the days when she was the mistress of Castle Deverill. While she is content in her new life, her heart still yearns for Jack O’Leary. As Kitty struggles with her choices, she must make a heartbreaking decision that could hurt those closest to her.

Wealthy and the toast of the town in New York City, Bridie Doyle has come a long way since she was the daughter of one of the cooks at Castle Deverill. But all her money cannot ease the pain over having given away her baby or from seeking revenge upon the woman who wronged her all those years ago.

As Celia wastes no time, or expense, in hiring workers to renovate Castle Deverill, dark shadows are gathering once more, as the financial markets begin to shake. Now everything that felt so certain is cast into doubt as this daughter of Ireland must find the inner strength to build a new future.

Exclusive Excerpt

At last the castle came into view. The western tower where her grandmother had set up residence until her death was intact but the rest of it resembled the bones of a great beast gradually decaying into the forest. Ivy and bindweed pulled on the remaining walls, crept in through the empty windows and endeavored to claim every last stone. And yet, for Kitty, the castle still held a mesmeric allure.

She trotted across the ground that had once been the croquet lawn but was now covered in long grasses and weeds. She dismounted and led her horse around to the front, where her cousin was waiting for her beside a shiny black car. Celia Mayberry stood alone, dressed in an elegant cloche hat beneath which her blond hair was tied into a neat chignon, and a long black coat that almost reached the ground. When she saw Kitty her face broke into a wide, excited smile.

“Oh my darling Kitty!” she gushed, striding up and throwing her arms around her. She smelled strongly of tuberose and money and Kitty embraced her fiercely.

“This is a lovely surprise,” Kitty exclaimed truthfully, for Celia loved Castle Deverill almost as much as she did, having spent every summer of her childhood there with the rest of the “London Deverills,” as their English cousins had been known. Kitty felt the need to cling to her with the same ferocity with which she clung to her memories, for Celia was one of the few people in her life who hadn’t changed, and as she grew older and further away from the past, Kitty felt ever more grateful for that. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? You could have stayed with us.”

“I wanted to surprise you,” said Celia, who looked like a child about to burst with a secret.

“Well, you certainly did that.” Kitty looked up at the facade. “It’s like a ghost, isn’t it? A ghost of our childhood.”

“But it will be rebuilt,” said Celia firmly.

Kitty looked anxiously at her cousin. “Do you know who bought it? I’m not sure I can bear to know.”

Celia laughed. “Me!” she exclaimed. “I have bought it. Isn’t that wonderful? I’m going to bring back the ghosts of the past and you and I can relive the glorious moments all over again through our children.

“You, Celia?” Kitty gasped in astonishment. “You bought Castle Deverill?”
“Well, technically Archie bought it. What a generous husband he is!” She beamed with happiness. “Isn’t it a riot, Kitty? Well, I’m a Deverill too! I have just as much right as anyone else in the family. Say you’re happy, do!”

“Of course I’m happy. I’m relieved it’s you and not a stranger, but I admit I’m a little jealous too,” Kitty said sheepishly.

Celia flung her arms around her cousin again. “Please don’t hate me. I did it for us. For the family. The castle couldn’t possibly go to a stranger. It would be like giving away one’s own child. I couldn’t bear to think of someone else building over our memories. This way we can all enjoy it

You can continue to live in the White House, Uncle Bertie in the Hunting Lodge if he so wishes and we can all be terribly happy again. After everything we’ve suffered we deserve to find happiness, don’t you think?”

Kitty laughed affectionately at her cousin’s fondness of the dramatic. “You’re so right, Celia. It will be wonderful to see the castle brought back to life and by a Deverill no less. It’s the way it should be. I only wish it were me.”

Celia put a gloved hand on her stomach. “I’m going to have a baby, Kitty,” she announced, smiling.

“Goodness, Celia, how many more surprises have you in store for me?”
“Just that and the castle. How about you? Do hurry up. I pray we are both blessed with girls so that they can grow up here at Castle Deverill just like we did.” And Kitty realized then that Celia had placed herself here within these castle walls for more than merely the annual month of August.

She was one of those shallow people who rewrote their own history and believed in the absolute truth of their version. “Come on,” Celia continued, taking Kitty’s hand and pulling her through the doorframe into the space where once the great hall had been. “Let’s explore. I have grand plans, you know. I want it to be just the same as it was when we were girls, but better. Do you remember the last Summer Ball? Wasn’t it marvelous?”

Kitty and Celia waded through the weeds that grew up to their knees, marveling at the small trees that had seeded themselves among the thistles and thorns and stretched their spindly branches toward the light

The ground was soft against their boots as they moved from room to room, disturbing the odd rook and magpie that flew indignantly into the air. Celia chattered on, reliving the past in colorful anecdotes and fond reminiscences, while Kitty was unable to stop the desolation of her ruined home falling upon her like a heavy black veil. With a leaden heart she remembered her grandfather Hubert, killed in the fire, and her grandmother Adeline who had died alone in the western tower only a month ago

She thought of Bridie’s brother, Michael Doyle, who had set the castle ablaze, and her own foolish thirst for recrimination, which had only led to her shame in his farmhouse where no one had heard her cries. Her thoughts drifted to her lover, Jack O’Leary, and their meeting at the wall where he had held her tightly and begged her to flee with him to America, then later, on the station platform, when he had been arrested and dragged away. Her head began to spin

Her heart contracted with fear as the monsters of the past were roused from sleep.

Full book list can be found on Santa’s website, link above.

*The Excerpt, Author Photo and Cover were provided by Publisher Harper Collins for exclusive use by Chick’s Rogue’s and Scandal’s Blog for this post.

The Hell Hath No Fury by Annabelle Anders, Release Day Blitz
Read on for an exclusive to the Blitz Tour Except, Get to know Annabelle and an exclusive to the Blitz Giveaway and my Review of her debut Historical Romance, Hell Hath No Fury.

The marriage bed was still warm when the earl she thought she loved crawled out of it and announced that he loved someone else.

Loves. Someone else.

All he saw in Cecily was her dowry.

But he’s in for the shock of his life, because in order to keep the money, he has to keep her.

With nothing to lose, in an attempt to goad the earl into divorcing her, Cecily sets out to seduce her husband’s cousin, Stephen Nottingham.

Little does she realize that Stephen would turn out to be everything her husband was not: Honorable, loyal, trustworthy…

Handsome as sin.

Stephen returned to England for one reason. Save his cousin’s estate from financial ruin. Instead, he finds himself tempted by his cousins beautiful and scorned wife.

He isn’t sure what to do first, strangle his cousin, or kiss his wife. His honor is put to the test, right along with his self-control.

Amid snakes, duels and a good catfight, Cecily realizes the game she’s playing has high stakes indeed.

There are only a few ways for a marriage to end in Regency England and none of them come without a high price. Is she willing to pay it? Is Stephen?

A ‘Happily Ever After’ hangs in the balance, because, yes, love can conquer all, but sometimes it needs a little bit of help.

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Exclusive Excerpt

“Stephen!” she gasped, shocked by what he seemed intent upon doing. “What on earth are you doing?”He looked up at her, smiling lustily. “Nothing.”And then he went about his business.Not in a million years had she ever imagined allowing a man to do… this!And with his mouth no less!“Oh, my God! Stephen, you are wicked,” she said, feeling quite wicked herself as she grasped the sidesof his head.He was not to be deterred. His tongue stroked and sucked in much the same way he’d done with hermouth, causing a new multitude of sensations to spiral inside of her.He paused only a moment to look up at her.“Surrender, Cecily.” He said. Giving her a lazy, sensual smile, “And prepare to die.”

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Exclusive Trailer

A little about the music in the trailer by Annabelle Anders

The song for the trailer was written by myself and my sister, Marcie Stanley. Marcie’s beautiful voice is
featured while she plays the piano… Due to illness, Marcie doesn’t perform much anymore so it was
very special for me to be able to use the song that we wrote together, over twenty years ago.
The Song is titled “Disposable Relationship.” I have a few tweeks for the lyrics to fit Stephen and
Cecily’s situation. Next time Marcie is up to recording I’ll change them to this:

For you, I would have done anything.
For you, can NOT have my soul.
For once you looked at me with empty eyes, the consequences… began to roll…
You’re a disposable relationship, damn the ton I’ll see your body gone. I’m throwing away a piece of
my heart with you.
with the ash and the chamber pots of my life… you’re going down and I won’t cry… anymore…

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My Review

There is nothing more frightening then a woman scorned, and this really showcases just how far women will go for the revenge they so desperately want.

And that is exactly what Cecily wants. Revenge…

I have come across real bad egg before, but Flavian Nottingham is one real nasty piece of work. He is egotistical, self righteous pain in the backside, who unfortunately can charm the bird out of the trees with his golden looks and manners. But in actual fact he is anything but, he is exactly how Cecily describes him; as a toad! The way he treats Cecily is really terrible and this guy deserves everything that’s coming to him!

Cecily wasn’t born an aristocrat her father is a Merchant/Business man, who has built up his Empire from scratch h she grew up learning the ropes and ways of business, she knows her ways around the books and banking and even legal documents. There is nothing that she cannot have she has everything a girl would want, the only thing her father can’t seem to purchase for her is respect and social standing, he cannot buy her someone to love her.

Then came along handsome, charming Flavian Nottingham. This god took an interest her, he charming her and made her fall in love with him and she thought he loved her too. So contracts were signed, the marriage was sealed and then he told her the awful truth …that he only married her for her !money and he didn’t love or feel anything for her.

Obviously Cecily was devastated but the hurt from her husband wasn’t finished there, he goes out of his way again and again to ostracize her from society and humiliate by flaunting his mistress about adorned in Jewels he had bought with Cecily’s dowry.

This really is the last straw for her so she decided that she needs to rid of him, now this is where her fabulous three friends come in and basically tell her, she needs to bump him off and live as a lavish widow, but she isn’t keen on that idea so with help of her toadish husband’s cousin Stephen she comes up with a plan that will force him to divorce her.

There is only two issues, one that someone is trying their damdest to murder her and secondly she falls head over heals for the cousin.

Cecily is in her own right an intelligent, strong-minded women but I felt as soon as she married Flavian and learnt the horrible truth she did loose s lot of her spark. She returned into some kind of simpering mouse who cries and whines – a lot! But once she has got over that and her friends start coming up with hilarious ways to get rid of him she really comes into her own.

I like the fact that she is from a normal background, it is so refreshing to have a working class woman as the lead but this is what Anders has done perfectly, the social divide between then is as clear as a bell, the way she gets ostracized just for her back ground really is quote appalling and true for the time.

Stephen is an enigma he keeps his emotions and the thoughts under wraps, he is a powerful man in his own right as handsome as sin but what I like about him is he respects her and takes as she is. Being business man and one of her father’s competitors he has a good solid intelligent head on those impossibly wide shoulders.

The two of them as much as they try to keep those feeling under wraps and under control the atmosphere sizzles with a built up tension. I especially like when they are plotting both their revenge on Flavian and it is highly entertaining watching as Cecily plot revenge on him and when Stephen asks her what she wants the fist it me she says is her husband’s head on a silver platter is very funny.

I adore this it is by far the funniest Historical Romance I have read, the plot is enjoyable very fun and I can see some really good things coming from this author. Her writing flows she has created a story that has you laughing out loud, gripped to edge of your seat and shouting at the book wanting to know what comes next.

This is highly recommended, really very good and a fabulous debut.

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About the author

Married to the same man for over 25 years, Annabelle Anders is mother to three children and two
Miniature Wiener dogs. After owning a business and experiencing considerable success, she and
her husband got caught in the financial crisis and lost everything; their business, their home, even
their car.

At this point, she put her B.A. in Poly Sci to use and took work as a waitress and bartender.

Unwilling to give up on a professional life, she simultaneously went back to college and obtained a degree in Energy Management.

And then the energy market dropped off.
And then her dog died.
We can only be grateful for this series of unfortunate events, for, with nothing to lose and completely demoralized, she sat down and began to write the romance novels which had until then, existed only in her imagination.

Annabelle is generously giving away some of her tasselled Hell Hath No Fury, Bookmarks. So to be in for a chance of winning one answer the question that Annabelle has set and follow the instructions… Over to Annabelle..

“I write under the name ANNABELLE ANDERS and my first book, Hell Hath No Fury released on 7-7-17. I love the date!

Anyway, my novel is an edgy Regency Romance. I say ‘ edgy’, because it’s a little off the beaten path. Whereas most heroines in Regency Romances begin the story NEEDING a husband, my character, Cecily, needs to get rid of one. The man she married (an earl) turned out to be a
complete and utter toad (not literally! LOL)”

To be in for a chance of winning a bookmark answer the following Question :

Does it bother you that the hero is not the man she is married to in the beginning?

E-mail your comment to andersannabelle@gmail.com along with your address and I’ll send you a Hell Hath No Fury tasselled Bookmark. (First 20 Respondents) Please include the name of the group or blog you are responding from ☺

I look forward to discovering your thoughts on this concept!

* I received this ARC copy from Love Affair With Fiction via the author in return of an honest review.

* The Promo including; Excerpt, Trailer and Author information were provided to Chick’s Rogue’s and Scandal’s exclusively for this Release Blitz.

I am very excited because I have a pretty special post for you all, my friend and awesome Historical Romance author Virginia Heath dropped by Chicks Rogues and Scandals to celebrate her upcoming newest release of “A Warriner to Rescue Her” which is book 2 in the Wild Warriners Series and she brought with her some incredible goodies, an exclusive to Chicks Rogues and Scandals excerpt and an amazing Gift Set that we will be giving away to one very lucky winner. I did want to keep the gift for myself but I promise I will let the prize go to a good home – it is seriously amazing though 😉.

To celebrate the up and coming release of “A Warriner to Rescue Her” we are going to be chatting Beatrix Potter, The Warriners and Acorns?…So to get our little celebration going with an exclusive post from the lady her self; here’s Virginia Heath…

From Little Acorns…

Just over a year ago, my first book came out. Like most debut authors, I found it all exciting yet a strangely daunting process. There was so much to learn and so much to do, and everyone told me that top of that list was to get some reviews because without them my book would fade into obscurity. Eagerly, I sent out my precious book to all and sundry, terrified they would all hate my work but knowing I had to do it or else nobody else would read it, hoping that from little acorns an oak tree would grow.

However, there was a problem. The reviewers weren’t interested. Why would they be? Why would they waste their valuable time on a new, unknown author when they already had a huge To Be Read pile filled with well-established and brilliant authors? It seemed my debut book was doomed and so was I.

That’s when I came across Frankie on Twitter. She had just started up her own blogging site Chicks, Rogues and Scandals. She was new and so was I, so I asked her if she would review That Despicable Rogue and to my delight and utter relief she said yes.

It was my first review, and a very nice one. Thanks to that review, other reviewers picked up my book and gave me a go. Since then, it’s all snowballed and I truly have had the most phenomenal first year. I’m building a name for myself and a solid following of readers. I was even nominated for a RONA award (Romantic Novel of the Year) for my third book The Discerning Gentleman’s Guide- I didn’t win but to have been shortlisted felt like I did. The big sites now regularly review my books, and by and large those reviews have all been excellent. The response to my first ever series- The Wild Warriners- has been awesome and I can already feel it building momentum after the success of the first book A Warriner to Protect Her.

I’m not an oak tree yet, more a sapling, and I will be forever grateful to Frankie for her part in that. That’s why I decided to celebrate the launch of the second Warriner book with a giveaway and excerpt exclusively on Chicks, Rogues and Scandals rather than on my own website. A little thank-you for being the first person to take a chance on me. I hope you all enjoy A Warriner to Rescue Her…

Exclusive Excerpt of A Warriner to Rescue Her.

Their butler crept in stealthily and coughed subtly. Every time Jamie saw him it gave him a start. Six months ago they had not even had a maid—now, thanks to Letty, there was a veritable army running Markham Manor, all transplanted from her opulent mansion in Mayfair.‘You have a caller, my lady.’A rarity indeed. Nobody called on the Warriners unless they were baying for blood or demanding immediate payment.‘A young lady. A Miss Reeves. She is enquiring as to whether Captain Warriner is at home.’Jamie could feel the beginnings of nerves in the pit of his stomach, warning of further impending humiliation, but tried to appear impassive.‘Captain Warriner?’ Letty was staring at him with barely contained delight. ‘How very dashing that sounds.’‘Tell her I am not at home, Chivers.’‘Tell her no such thing! Have her shown in immediately, Chivers. And arrange for some tea.’ His sister-in-law tossed aside her already forgotten sewing and sat eagerly forward in her chair. ‘Why is a young lady calling for you, Jamie?’He considered lying, but as the real reason for Miss Reeves’s unwelcome visit was doubtless about to be unveiled there seemed little point. ‘I tried to rescue her from a tree yesterday.’‘Tried?’‘Yes. And failed. Miserably.’Further explanation was prevented by the arrival of his embarrassment. Just as it had yesterday, those red-gold curls refused to be tamed by her hairpins. Several very becoming silky tendrils poked out of her sensible bonnet and framed her pretty face. Her lovely chestnut eyes were wary as they darted between him and Letty.

Politeness dictated he should stand in the presence of a lady, but if he stood she would see more damning evidence of his infirmity and his pride was already bruised and battered quite enough. Letty, of course, sprang to her feet in an instant and gushingly greeted their guest.‘Miss Reeves! I am delighted to make your acquaintance. I am Letty Warriner- technically the Countess of Markham, although my husband is reticent about using his title. Do take a seat. I hope you will join us for tea?’It was all a little over the top, in Jamie’s opinion. Yes, a visitor was something of a rarity here, but the way Letty was behaving was a little too effusive. Especially as he was already counting the seconds until Miss Reeves left him in humiliated solitary peace.‘Tea would be lovely,’ she said, flicking her eyes towards his briefly as she arranged her bottom on a chair. Jamie could still remember the feel of it in his hands. Firm. Rounded. Womanly. Which of course made him think about the incongruous garters again. ‘I came to check on Captain Warriner’s recovery. Because of my own lack of judgement, he was injured yesterday.’

Jamie stared straight ahead, but could feel Letty’s eyes boring into him. ‘Really? Jamie made no mention of an injury. Come to mention it, he also made no mention of the accident which must have led to the injury. All I know is what I have just been told. You were apparently stuck in a tree, Miss Reeves, and my brother-in-law tried and failed to get you down.’She put unnecessary emphasis on the words brother-in-law, clearly making a point to their guest. A point which made Jamie uncomfortable.He is single, in case you were wondering, Miss Reeves, and desperately in want of a wife. Try to ignore the fact he is lame, futureless and has the potential to kill if the mood takes him.Miss Reeves blushed like a beetroot, a beetroot with distracting freckles on her dainty button of a nose, and wore a pained expression. ‘Captain Warriner climbed the apple tree to save me, but I fidgeted too much and the branch snapped. I am afraid we both fell to the ground. The poor captain absorbed the brunt of the impact.’An understatement. His ribs had damn near snapped in half.Letty was grinning like an idiot. ‘You fell on top of him? In the orchard?’ And like a nodcock he just happened to be painting the same blasted orchard and things looked so much more beautiful through his stupid eyes.Miss Reeves nodded. ‘I feel awful about it.’

For his own sake, now was the opportune time to intervene, before Letty started to matchmake in earnest. ‘As you can see, I am in fine fettle, Miss Reeves. You needn’t have troubled yourself by coming all this way to see the evidence for yourself.’ His sister-in-law shot him a pointed glance for his rudeness, but Jamie was unrepentant. The last thing he needed was Letty reading more into his choice of painting than he was comfortable with her knowing. Miss Reeves’s fine eyes swivelled towards his leg, raised as always on a supportive footstool, and he inwardly cringed.

‘But I can see your leg is still injured, Captain Warriner, and that is completely my fault.’She thought his infirmity was a temporary affliction, and as tempting as it was to go along with the fantasy, his innate sense of futility kicked in. ‘This is Napoleon’s fault, Miss Reeves. Not yours.’Now, please go away, woman!‘Napoleon?’‘Indirectly. It was his guns which fired the musket balls.’‘Balls!’Her voice came out a little high-pitched and he simply nodded. He had no intention of telling her how they had had to dig three of the blighters out of his thigh while he was still conscious and he’d very nearly lost the whole leg, as well as his life, to infection afterwards. She blinked rapidly and Jamie could see her imagination filling in the blanks, those long lashes fluttering like butterflies as she did so.Very pretty.

Somehow that made it worse. Pretty and pity made him feel less of a man than he usually did. However, under the circumstances, it was probably best to divulge the horrible truth and suffer her pity rather than give Letty false hope that this delightful armful of woman might enter into a romance with a dangerous invalid. ‘They left me crippled, Miss Reeves.’ And cripples were not attractive. Especially not to freckle-faced fertility goddesses with positively sinful hair and saucy garters.

***

Cassie had no idea how to respond to such a statement. Part of her was sorry he had suffered, another part of her was hugely relieved not to have been the cause of his injury and a bigger part of her kept remembering how very big, solid and manly his body had been sprawled beneath hers. Just thinking about it made her feel all warm and those deliciously sinful sapphire eyes were not helping. Once again those exuberant passions she was trying her hardest to suppress jumped to the fore. Fortunately, the arrival of the tea tray meant she did not have to respond and had a perfectly reasonable excuse for removing her bonnet before she began to perspire from her wayward, wicked thoughts.‘Do you take sugar, Miss Reeves?’‘Just one, please, Mrs…er…my lady.’

The pretty blonde woman giggled. ‘To be honest, it confuses me, too. Perhaps we should simply dispense with the formalities. Why don’t you call me Letty?’‘In that case, please feel free to call me Cassie.’ She risked peeking at Captain Galahad, but he made no move to invite her to call him anything familiar. In fact, he looked quite irritated at her continued presence. His gorgeous eyes were distinctly narrowed, which made her babble. ‘I am new to the area. My father has recently been appointed the vicar of this parish. We live at the vicarage.’ A completely ridiculous clarification only an idiot would make. It would probably be sensible to stop babbling nonsense and wait to be asked a question. Unfortunately, once her nerves got the better of her, Cassie’s mouth had a habit of running away with itself. ‘I couldn’t help noticing you are going to have a baby.’ Was it polite to mention such things?

Whether it was or it wasn’t, her hostess smiled and Cassie watched in wonder as the young woman’s hand automatically went to her protruding stomach lovingly. ‘Yes, indeed. But not until the autumn. I appear to have got very fat very quickly.’ She handed Cassie her tea. ‘Are you engaged to be married, Miss Reeves, or is there an ardent suitor on the cusp of proposing to you in the near future?’A very sore point.Cassie’s odd personality, off-putting exuberance, unfortunate freckles combined with her father’s ferocious temperament had all proved to be highly effective deterrents to the male sex. ‘No to both questions, I’m afraid.’I am doomed to sit on the shelf and gather dust; I only hope it is sturdy enough and wide enough to bear my weight.‘Well, I am sure it won’t be long before some lucky gentleman snaps you up—you are uncommonly pretty, Miss Reeves. Isn’t that right, Jamie?’

Captain Galahad grunted and appeared very bored. Clearly he disagreed. He was sipping his tea and practically glaring at her over the rim of the ridiculously delicate cup in his large, manly hand. Or perhaps he was glaring at his sister-in-law for asking him such an impertinent question? It was quite difficult to tell.

As you would have guessed from the Amazing Excerpt “A Warriner to Rescue Her” follows second brother; war hero Jamie as he tries to get on with his life after being severely wounded in battle. Jamie is an accomplished artist and it is through his art that he really comes into his own. On meeting Cassie, the new vicar’s daughter who like Jamie comes into her own through her stories, they come together to create a book, in a very Beatrix Potter way. Cassie writes the story about talking animals, no less and Jamie creates the glorious pictures and soon through their shared love of this venture they begin to heal each other. Which leads nicely into the next part of our Celebration The lady, who is the inspiration to Cassie and Jamie’s book; Beatrix Potter….

A Lady who Inspired….

Beatrix Potter was a childhood heroine of mine, she inspired children, young girls especially, to go out there and pursue their dreams, just like she did. Beatrix was a kind-hearted, intelligent and wonderful woman who could see the beauty in the most ordinary, everyday things. Her gift for creating these lovable tales is extraordinary but that isn’t all she achieved, her legacy will be her love and respect for the wild and all its creatures.

Beatrix wrote and illustrated 28 children’s books that to this day are loved by children all over the world, they have been translated into over 35 languages.

She was originally from Kensington, London born 28th July 1866 to a Rupert and Helen Potter, but her heart was and always would be in the country; such as Scotland and the Lake District. She was the eldest of two, her little brother Bertram were very close and they shared a love of animals and nature. As Bertram was really the only childhood friend she had while growing up, once he was sent off to school Beatrix was very lonely and it was at these times that her artistic talents and astonishing imagination really took root and started her off down the path she took and why and how she became the inspiring woman she became.

Like all girls growing up during the Victorian era, Beatrix was restricted in her activities, she rarely spent much time with her parents and other than her brother her main source of companionship was various governesses who were brought in to educate young Beatrix, because of her extraordinary talent she was encouraged to pursue her love of art. She created astonishingly accurate drawings of fungi and insects and her beloved pet rabbit Benjamin Bouncer.

Throughout her twenties, after years of observation and studies she developed into a keen and talented naturalist and she wrote her first paper called “On the Germination of the Spores of Agaricineae” all about how fungi spores reproduced but was rejected by William Thiselton-Dyer, director of the Royal Botanical Gardens. She refused to give up and carried on with her research and a year later George Massee, a fungi expert who worked at the Kew gardens, agreed to present her paper to the Linnean Society of London as women weren’t allowed to at the time.

Way before becoming the published author we know her to be, Beatrix created illustrated post cards depicting scenes from her favourite stories such as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland for the publisher Hildesheimer & Faulkner. Many more illustrations and verses followed, this cemented her desire to Publish her own stories.

In 1901 after being rejected by many publishers Beatrix decided to print and Publish The Tale of Peter Rabbit herself, she initially printed 250 copies and sent them to friends and family. The book was an instant success and the publishers Frederick Warne & Co., who had previously turned it down, reconsidered and offered to publish as long as Beatrix illustrated in colour. On publishing in October 1902 the book was an instant hit.

But she wasn’t just a one hit wonder she created many more books that were instant successes, she started exploring more creative pursuits, she created her own Peter Rabbit doll and in 1903 she registered it at the patent office making Peter Rabbit the world’s oldest licensed literary character. Beatrix dabbled in other merchandise such as tea sets. Slippers, she invented The Peter Rabbit board game in 1904. She also published Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle Duck painting books.

She met her soul mate in her editor, Norman Warne but unfortunately after a long courtship Norman died of Leukaemia just a month after his proposal of marriage. To recover from his passing Beatrix took to the Lake District, which was her sanctuary a place she could grieve and be herself in peace and it was a place where she spent the majority of the rest of her life.

She loved the area and the people and just the way of life so much she bought fifteen farms and took a very hands on approach to caring for them. She was known to helping with the haymaking, wading through mud to unblock drains or dressed in tweed searching the hills for lost sheep. She was at her utmost happiest when she was tending to her animals.

Beatrix became the first woman elected President of the Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association in 1943 and in the same year Beatrix sadly passed away, leaving her fifteen farms and over four thousand acres to The National Trust.

For me Beatrix was an astonishing woman, she pushed the boundaries of what women could do in the time and she never gave in. She was a force to be reckoned with and she brought so much joy and happiness into the world, her legacy is of her love of nature and these wonderful stories that are still loved to this day. She had her heart breaks and it was in those times that she showed again and again just how much strength she had.

💜💜💜

Giveaway Closed

Giveaway Time…

I promised at the beginning of the post that we have a doozy of a giveaway and here it is. Virginia has generously put together a Warriner/Beatrix Potter Gift set which includes…

So, to be in for a chance of winning this incredible Gift set then all you have to do is tell me : Who is your favourite Beatrix Potter Character? That’s it simple!

Revised Giveaway Entrant Rules : I have had a it pointed out to me that those who don’t have a wordpress account are having difficulties commenting, so I have adjusted how you all can enter – You can either comment below, or you can leave your answer on the original Giveaway Post on the Chick’s Rogues and Scandals Facebook page. Link –HERE

Giveaway T&C’s

The Giveaway is open Internationally. The closing date is Tuesday 27th June at 6pm GMT. The winner will be drawn at random after the closing date and will be notified shortly after.

I have a very special post today, Chicks Rogues and Scandals have joined up with the Pirate Wenches to help them celebrate the release of their new Swashbuckling Romance box set; Romance on the High Sea’s. I have got Exclusive Excerpts from each book plus a get to know the author’s section with an Exclusive Interview with all Seven of the author’s. So let’s set sail onto the high seas….

PREPARE TO BE BOARDED.If you love historical romance, pirates, adventure and thrills, you’ll love this 7-book set by these award-winning and best-selling pirate romance authors!

The Pirate’s Debt by Katherine Bone:
An earl-turned pirate is ordered by his benefactor to find an adventurous young runaway and return her home. To do so, he must retrieve her without being discovered by the most ruthless pirate hunter on the seas: her brother.

Dead Man’s Kiss by Jennifer Bray-Weber:
Eight weeks. That’s all pirate captain Valeryn Barone has to escort a tempting naturalist untouched across the Caribbean or face the gallows. Can he resist the beauty who’s fallen for him? Does a dead man walking even have a chance?

The Black Morass by Barbara Devlin:
In exchange for a chance at redemption and pardons for his crew, Jean Marc Cavalier accepts a pact that could result in liberty or death, if only he can survive the terms, but at least he will be free.

Captain Conal O’Brien has already lost control of his ship to the most unlikely band of pirates sailing the seas. If he’s not careful, he’s going to lose his heart to a notorious lady pirate determined to destroy both.

Captivated by the Captain by Amanda Mariel:
What happens when an American shipping company heiress crosses paths with a pirate? Can two people whose life paths are at odds find common ground?

Carried Away by Kamery Solomon:
After falling through time and being forced to join a pirate crew, Mark Bell falls in love with his fellow time traveler, Samantha. She’s a woman he can’t have, though. Will their presence in the past alter the future they know and love?

Excerpts

The Pirate’s Debt by Katherine Bone

He thought he lost his honor… then she teaches him what it means to be a hero.

Lady Chloe Walsingham is an enthusiastic gothic romance reader and hopeless romantic focused solely on finding her perfect hero. She also happens to have a penchant for getting into trouble. So when the man she loves disappears after a scandalous duel, she decides to follow him to the ends of the Earth. To do so, however, Chloe must evade her brother, an infamous revenue man, and board a ship bound for Penzance. And nothing in her beloved books can prepare her for the harsh realities of wreckers who ply the coast.

After his father destroyed the lives of countless innocent people, Basil Halford, Earl of Markwick is willing to do anything to earn back his honor. Betrayed by his blood and his reputation ruined, Markwick answers the request of a well-heeled duke and dons the Black Regent’s mask to repay the debt. His task? Rescuing a young woman who is chasing down a ghost of a man.

But a pirate has plenty of enemies, and Markwick isn’t any different. No matter how diligent a captain he may be, sailing to Lady Chloe’s rescue involves risking not only the Regent’s legacy but the last thing he can afford to lose…his heart.

Excerpt
Seated in Markwick’s cutter, cloaked in his clothing, Chloe felt incredibly shallow. To think that she’d cast all inhibitions to the wind and sailed off for an enterprising adventure, only to need to be rescued by the very man she’d set out to find. Though she hadn’t known she’d be finding the Black Regent.

Regent sightings were rare for the average villager. She’d never known anyone who’d actually met the gallant hero that stole from the rich and gave to the poor.
Oh, to be sitting so near to him now, to have touched him, to be in love with him, is even more exceptional than I imagined it would be!

She fought to curb the jubilation pulsing through her veins, igniting her headstrong passions, and forced herself to remember this was all about her devotion to Markwick and the lives lost on the very ship on which she’d obtained passage. To anyone else, the Black Regent might be a dashing pirate who’d just plucked her off the Mohegan’s decks and saved her from certain death, but Markwick was also the man she loved.

She sighed, half trembling, half in despair. Unable to tear her gaze away, she desired to stretch out her fingers and touch the man, to assure herself that he wasn’t a figment of her imagination. What kind of nightmare would that be, to discover she was dreaming and that Markwick really wasn’t there?

Oh, but the blackguard truly was just as she’d envisioned! In her mind’s eye, he’d been a swashbuckling champion born from the pages of fiction and fantasy. Now, sitting before her, was the living man whose very existence defied her infatuations because he was the man she loved. Broad-shouldered, lean, with a firm authoritarian profile, he stood a head taller than she did, and oh . . . when he’d held her in his arms on board the Mohegan, a light headed euphoria had immediately stunned her. Markwick had stood behind her before but only to teach her how to shoot a bow and arrow. Not like this. Never like this!
Her gaze lowered to his upper arms. They were thick, flexing muscular limbs capable of sweeping her off her feet at a moment’s whim. And oh, she wanted to be his Matilda. She wanted him to be her Theodore.

Bother. Matilda and Theodore were Horace Walpole’s creations. She and Markwick lived in the real world. She inhaled a breath of frigid, moist, salty air.

Admit the truth, you silly girl. Markwick triggered breathless exhilaration and the unbridled beat fluttering within her breast, not the Black Regent. For her, there had always only been the Earl of Markwick.

☠

Pirate Heiresses by Chloe Flowers

A beautiful pirate, a vengeful sea-captain and a secret treasure…will love save them or destroy them?

Reluctant pirate Stevie Savauge is on a quest with her family to find a secret treasure hidden by her great-great-grandparents, the two notorious pirates Anne Bonny and Calico Jack Rackham. When her eight-year-old twin siblings are kidnapped and the ransom demand is a merchant ship called the Seeker, Stevie must find the courage to conquer her fears and fight for those she loves.

Italian-born, French privateer Drago Viteri Gamponetti (Gampo to his men) has coveted the Ahern merchant fleet for years, and sets a trap in Jamaica. Unfortunately, he has two small trouble makers aboard; a boy who wants to be just like him, and a girl who will either steal him blind or turn his black heart.

When Captain Conal O’Brien discovers that the pirates work for his sworn enemy, he doesn’t resist capture. What better way to locate Gampo’s secret stronghold than to sail right into it? But these nutty brigands aren’t who they seem to be, and if Conal’s not careful, he’s going to lose his heart as well as his ship to the woman determined to possess both.

A high seas, historical, pirate romance filled with action and adventure, mystery and intrigue, and a quest for hidden treasure!

Excerpt
Stevie swallowed and gripped the pistol handle more firmly. Her arm was beginning to tire from holding it for so long, but she didn’t dare lower it. The mountain of a man in the tub looked as if he could crush her head like a grape with one hand, and her young cousin’s with the other one. More often than not, she could look an average man straight in the eye. However, with this one, she doubted her head would reach his nose.

The man in the tub cocked his brows, then his eyes narrowed before sliding down to her soft doves skin boots and back up again. She should have stayed more in the shadows; she might have appeared a bit more intimidating that way.

“Relinquish your freedom and possessions,” she said, barely able to keep the tremor from her voice. Her gaze paused at the gold ring on the man’s finger. If they were going to become pirates, she might as well start acting like one. She took a deep breath and drew her shoulders back a little.

“Beginning with your ring,” she said, holding out her hand. The man’s jaw clenched and the knuckles gripping the tub’s edge whitened. What thoughts were flying around in his head? He was contemplating his chances of overpowering her and taking her pistol; she could see that in the way his gaze shifted back and forth between her and her cousin, Remi. If he had a weapon, and if it had been a one-on-one situation instead of one against two (with guns), he likely wouldn’t have paused to contemplate it this long. He would have defended himself by attacking them. And he’d have won. Even now, she sensed he was still calculating his odds.

She eased a step back, careful to keep her pistol well within a lethal range. “Please don’t try it,” she said. “I’d prefer to save my shot.” She was far from her cozy little room off the kitchens of her brother’s gaming house. Uncle Bernard had given her a brief lesson on managing a pistol, but it still terrified her to hold it.

His eyes widened and his brows raised in surprise. She’d been right in her assumptions, then. She usually was. Her intuition annoyed her brothers no small amount, and they always avoided her when they wished their thoughts to remain…theirs. Only one of them could hide from her, but he was a gambler and so it was expected, otherwise he wouldn’t be a very good gambler, would he?
The man twisted the ring from his finger and tossed it to her. She caught it and placed it on the only finger it would fit—her thumb.
“Get dressed,” she said, with as much authority as she could muster.

He slowly stood with the oily movement of a cat as he reached for a linen rag. Stevie felt her eyes widen. She was wrong. Very wrong. The top of her head would barely reach his chin, let alone his nose. Wide, thick shoulders took up most of the space in the galley. The muscles across his shoulders rippled as he moved. A long scar trailed from the top of his shoulder to the middle of his ribcage. A fighting man. A very strong, very muscular, very handsome, very naked, fighting man.

☠

Carried Away by Kamery Solomon

Mark Bell is being haunted.

Ever since his friend, Samantha, drowned in the Treasure Pit, he’s been running from her ghost. When his path takes him to a historical site and shipwreck in Texas, he hopes the past will stay where it belongs. However, the more he uncovers, the clearer it becomes that something is not right. Old friends need his help, and he doesn’t know if he’s the man to get the job done.

Samantha O’Rourke is a time traveler trying to survive in the past. Trapped in the social pyramid of the French Court and the secret society her husband, Tristan, defends, she feels more out-of-place than ever before. Nothing ever stops a treasure hunter for long, though, and she soon finds herself caught up in another mystery, only to have life yanked to a precarious perch, where only the truly strong will survive.

Can the future be changed? Or is everything set in stone, destined to follow only one course?

Excerpt
Chuckling, she waved her hand in front of her face, smiling at me in a way that made my heart stop. “Really, though. You’ve saved my life more than once, and even in our own time when you kept me from going into the Pit when it collapsed. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”

“Don’t,” I said immediately, sitting and staring at her. “Don’t act like you owe me anything. You lived—that’s all I wanted. I don’t need anything more than to know you’re in the world and okay.”

If there had been no Tristan, no pirate hostage situation, no anything but us, it would’ve been easy to kiss her then. Her face was so sweet and soft, her eyes wide as she watched me, only a few inches away. My hands ached to hold her, to cuddle her against my chest and run my fingers through her hair. Drying quickly at the thought, like I was a man dying of thirst, my lips tingled with the image of her mouth on mine. Heart racing, I felt myself leaning in, slowly, as if every millimeter was killing me.

Jerking back into the present, I blinked, and then looking away, I stood so quickly she jumped.

“What is it?” she asked in alarm.

Glancing at her, I tried to focus on the things that would help me remember what our situation was. Her black shirt was dirty and torn on one shoulder from getting caught on a branch as we rode out of the mountains. The pants she was wearing belonged to Flanagan, who had been more than happy to tell everyone I’d let her get in his breeches. The shoes I’d bought for her in Veracruz were muddied from our trek as well, tied to her feet with little care for whether or not they stayed on.

She was a prisoner, a captive among this crew.

Married.

Not mine…..

☠

Captivated by the Captain by Amanda Mariel

Miss Prudence Drake desires nothing more than to return to America and pick up the pieces of her life. After being held captive on the Black Dawn and witnessing her papa’s murder, the last thing she wants is to find herself in the hands of another pirate-even if he is handsome and honourable.

Captain Jasper Blackmore has forsaken his past, walking away from England’s shores in search of a new adventure after the war left him physically scarred and jilted by the one lady he dared to love. An American hoyden could never fit into his world despite his attraction to her.

Can two people whose life paths are at odds find common ground?

Excerpt
He slanted a glance at her as they came to a stop near the railing. The sky behind her was a blaze of red and pink. Her honey blond hair danced in the evening breeze while her hazel eyes sparkled. The chit was breathtaking and the snug breeches, and the flowing shirt did naught to hide her ample charms. There was a mysterious edge to the woman who only added to her appeal.

If he were forced to spend much more time with her, he would not be able to resist stealing a kiss from her plump lips. His gaze roamed to those very lips and he could not resist imagining what they would feel like pressed to his. Soft and sweet.

“It will be fair weather tomorrow.” She notched her chin, indicating the sky and breaking the spell he was under.

He looked out over the expanse of ocean at the setting sun. How did she know to draw such a conclusion? He would not ask now, but before she left his ship, he would know where she gained her knowledge. It was not common place for a woman to understand such things—let alone speak on them. She had been around ships before, and often. But in what capacity? “Indeed,” he replied.

Before he could say more, a scream issued from above. He tilted his head back to look up into the sails and rigging. Payne dangled from a mast, his leg wrapped in thick rope If the man kept struggling he might plunge to his death. “Be still,” Jasper hollered up at him as he surveyed the situation.

“Captain, I lost my balance. It’s lucky the rigging caught me, but I need an extra hand to get free.” Payne stopped wriggling as he took hold of the nearby lines, steadying himself.

Jasper rushed forward to help, propelling himself up the lines toward Payne. How the bloody hell an experienced boatswain managed to get himself in such a position was beyond him. The fool was indeed lucky the rigging stopped his fall. Leastwise, his sorry ass would be splattered on the deck.

“Do be careful.” Prudence called after him.

Jasper could not miss the grin that lit Payne’s weathered face as he looked down at her. He would wager the fool had been paying more attention to her than his duties when he slipped. Having a woman, worse yet, an attractive woman, on board was bad for all of them. He would have to convince her to stay out of sight until he could be rid of her. Surely she would see reason once he explained the danger she presented to his men.

Jasper reached for the thick rope tangled around Payne’s leg. “Hold tight to that line. Once I loosen this, it will be up to you to keep yourself off the deck.”

“I’m ready, Captain.” Payne’s knuckles turned white as he fisted the line in preparation.

Jasper held onto the lines with one hand and wrapped his legs around the mast while he worked to free Payne. Just as suddenly as the man’s yell had sent Jasper up the mast, his boatswain was freed from the snare he’d found himself in.

He waited for Payne to make his way down to the deck before following after him. Irritation pricked at him as he made his decent. Several of his men stood clustered around Prudence. As soon as his boots hit the deck he moved toward her. She stood near the mast with her hands on her hips and seemed to be taking in the damage to his ship.

“Those lines will need to be repaired sooner rather than later.” She glanced up, her gaze following the damaged rigging before coming to rest on his. “The main sail is useless without them.”

Jasper surveyed the damage, annoyance warming his blood. She was right in her assessment. How did she know so much? And why were his men tripping over themselves to pay her homage? Did they not realize the dangers of having a woman on board? The bloody fools could not see past her charms. He could not allow her to take command of his ship. “It is not your—”

“Yes, miss. I am going to take care of them straight away,” Payne interrupted then gave an awkward bow.

Prudence looked at Payne, offering a wide smile. “I do not doubt you.”

Styles offered her an amused grin. “Seems ye know a thing or two ’bout ships.” He nudged Jasper playfully. “She’s a good eye, Captain.”

“Back to your stations.” Jasper ordered his voice firm as he battled his growing frustration.

A chorus of “Aye, Captain” followed as his men turned to follow their orders, but not before they tipped their heads or offered a bow to Prudence. How had one woman reduced his crew of fearsome pirates to a lot of bustling peacocks?

Bloody hell. He’d had all he could tolerate of this nonsense. He took hold of her elbow, determined to remove her from his men’s sight. “Let us return to the cabin.”

Prudence did not budge as he attempted to propel her into motion. Blast the woman was stubborn. Worse, somehow her defiance made her more attractive. The urge to take her to bed and tame her tightened his loins.

He peered at her, his rising lust battling with anger, and tightened his grip a fraction. “Now.”

☠

Dead Man’s Kiss by Jennifer Bray-Weber

Forced to make a bargain… One drunken night in Cuba lands Captain Valeryn Barone in a life or death situation. To escape the gallows, Valeryn must agree to a bargain only a fool would make: Escort the tempting and tenacious niece of his captor across the Caribbean or lose his ship, his crew and his life! The caveat? The beautiful Spanish woman must remain untouched for the entire voyage.

Determined to get what she wants… Catalina Montoya will stop at nothing to get what she wants-even when trouble is certain. Sent to live with her uncle after a scandalous affair, Catalina intends to concentrate on her dream to become a renowned naturalist. She never expected her uncle would send her with a notorious pirate to further her studies. Worse, she never expected to want the devilishly handsome pirate more than anything else.

It’s a battle of wills… Now Catalina only has 8 weeks to seduce Valeryn and collect her specimens before he returns her to her uncle. And Valeryn has 8 weeks to secure his redemption. Except neither would be that lucky. Not when ruthless enemies threaten to destroy them at every turn. Can Valeryn save those that foolishly depend on him? Can he resist Catalina’s heart? Does a dead man walking even have a chance?

Excerpt
Bloody hell, these people did not know who he was, what he was capable of doing.
Valeryn rose from his seat, reining in all his will to not break the prick’s neck. “Do you want to know why I am feared across the Caribbean?”
“Feared? I do not fear you,” Fraco said. “You were willingly led by your nose by a woman who had more cojones than you.”
A growl rumbled from deep within his chest. “I have sailed with Ned Low and Charles Vane.”

Catalina blanched. Worry stole her calm demeanor. Nalda also traded her stoicism for alarm. Good. They had plenty to be worried about. Valeryn had been disciplined by the most barbaric, sadistic pirates to ever sail the seas.

“I am well-schooled in vicious, torturous deaths.” He bared his teeth, an old habit when on the edge of unleashing his fury. “You will be fooling yourself if you entertain a mere inkling that I will let a fanciful poppet and a princock take me down.”
Fraco opened his mouth to speak.
Valeryn pulled out his dagger from his waistband, spinning it his hand before pointing it at the wastrel. “This is your one fair warning.”
He strolled to the door and yanked it open. As he expected, Henri fell across the threshold onto the floor. “See the ladies to their cabin,” he said to the eavesdropping old man. “Take the maid’s plate.”
“Aye, Capt’n.”
“All of you, get out of my quarters. Now.”

One by one they filed out. Catalina was the last to leave. She paused beside him, close enough to inhale her fragrance—floral, spicy, like the white and yellow petals of the frangipani flowers. Slowly, excruciatingly so, she lifted her inquisitive gaze to meet his. Her beauty could turn a saint into a sinner. Luckily, he already had a place reserved for him in hell. Her plump lips parted to say something. Whatever ’twas, a second thought had snapped her mouth shut and lit a fire in her sable eyes. Valeryn rather liked that tempestuous look. He couldn’t help but wonder if she were a hell cat in the bedchamber. Couldn’t help his craving to stoke that fire. He dropped his gaze to the deep chasm between her breasts. How he desired to get lost in there. Damn, damn, damn.

“Take your leave, Miss Montoya.”

☠

The Black Morass by Barbara Devlin

Forever glancing over his shoulder, Jean Marc Cavalier is a ruthless pirate with the blood of countless souls on his hands and a price on his head, but he is a lonely man. In exchange for a chance at redemption, pardons for his crew, and a peaceful life, he accepts a pact that could result in liberty or death, if only he can survive the terms, but at least he will be free. When he rescues a young woman in distress, and vows to return her to her family, he is torn between his natural instincts born of violence and the honorable bargain he struck. What will Jean Marc choose?

En route to Jamaica to join her father, after her guardian dies, Lady Madalene Davies departs Boston in anticipation of a new life in a foreign land. When her ship is attacked and set afire, she is left for dead, until an unlikely savior comes to her aid. Brash and bawdy, her flawed hero defies the conventional ideal, as he is no knight in shining armor and seems forever intent on shocking her, yet she cannot resist the lure he presents. What happens when danger lurks in unexpected places, faith is broken, and Madalene must rely on Jean Marc to stay alive?

Excerpt
Freedom often commanded a steep price, in many instances exacted against the will of the innocent soul caught in its implacable lure, and Lady Madalene Davies pondered the cost her liberator, a self-proclaimed, one-time pirate blackguard who seemed much invested in his former trade, given his bawdy behavior and iniquitous demeanor, might demand in exchange for safe passage to Port Royal. But could she endure the consequences of such a bargain, as she foundered somewhere between the devil and the deep blue sea?

Out of place in her new cabin, which contrasted with her modest chamber aboard the Trident, she doffed her cloak and bonnet. A plush, red velvet counterpane covered the largest bunk she had ever seen, given Captain Hammond used a hammock, and the mattress hosted a mountain of matching pillows. The wall at the head boasted a salacious painting of a naked woman resting on her side, and its companion, a smaller work that featured a nude male and a female bent forward, pressed front to back, and engaged in some sort of odd activity, did little to inspire confidence, as she assessed her clean but well-worn accommodations and her precarious situation.

Behind the thick oak panel stood a surly looking character she dared not challenge, and the small side chamber held naught but clothing. A locker marked with unique carvings revealed additional personal items, so she gave her attention to the hand-tooled desk, to search for some indication of the character of her erstwhile savior.

In the top drawer, she discovered a logbook, a set of maps and charts, and a deck of cards with the usual suits on one side and shocking images of ladies sans garments on the other, and she dropped the offensive items. Then her gaze lit upon a rolled parchment secured with an elegant ribbon. With a cursory check to ensure privacy, she untied the swath of silk, smoothed the paper, and examined what she realized was an official document, distinguished by its heading, Letter of Marque and Reprisal.
“Upon my word.” Madalene gasped. “Jean Marc Cavalier was a pirate.”

☠

My Lady Pirate by Danelle Harmon

QUEEN OF THE SEA

Maeve Merrick is the notorious Pirate Queen of the Caribbean-a fierce and fiery she-wolf burned by the treachery of men. Sensuous and independent, she sails the world’s oceans with her loyal band of women warriors. Desiring neither marriage nor love, she wants for nothing—until the sea delivers to her a treasure beyond compare.

KING OF THE ROGUES

Her gift is Gray, a handsome castaway with a dangerous secret, who is overcome with desire for the bold and bewitching pirate queen. Beneath a star-studded sky, Maeve succumbs to the magic of Gray’s passionate touch. For the dark stranger has vowed to conquer the beautiful buccaneer’s heart. But can he teach her to trust—and to love—once more?

Excerpt
Maeve drew her dagger and flung it at his head, satisfied to see him jerk away so that the vicious blade impaled the wall just above and behind him. “You are disgusting, despicable, and totally without pride!”
“On the contrary, madam.” He reached up, pulled the dagger from the wall, and plucking an orange from the nightstand, began to use it to peel the fruit. “I am quite proud of it, thank you.” Still holding her gaze, he popped a section of the orange into his mouth, eating it with slow, suggestive motions that shortened the breath in Maeve’s lungs and made her realize that he was not the only one who was hot. Her temper rose. Had she had her pistol, she probably would have shot him. Probably. Maybe.
Maybe … not.

Her gaze darted from him to the window. From the window to him. From him to the window … and each time she looked at him, she saw that he was watching her, fully enjoying her discomfort.

He grinned, and suggestively licked at the juices trailing from the sweet fruit, letting his tongue wrap around each section and making sure she saw him doing it. His eyes were dark, laughing, and half-veiled by heavy, thick lashes that did nothing to conceal the wicked expression that lit them.

The suckling noises increased.
“Stop it!” she hissed.
He dropped the orange section into his mouth, licked his lips with a slow, languorous motion, and slowly peeled off another.
The heat rose in Maeve’s blood.
“Would you like … a taste, madam?”
She raised her cutlass. “I’ll give you a taste—”

“No decisive battle was ever fought from afar,” he interrupted on a low murmur, still grinning. “Nay, two vessels must lie alongside of each other in order to best bring their guns to bear.” He bit into the orange, making lewd, evocative noises as the juice trailed from the succulent flesh and dribbled down his chin. There was a dimple in that chin, and Maeve felt her heart skipping, staggering, faltering. “We have a signal for such an engagement in the navy. ’Tis called close action.”

“You are no longer in the navy, and I am not a ship!”
“Nay, you are not …” His voice grew low, dangerously seductive. “But I like the cut of your jib, the trim of your sails”—the dark gaze slid over her breasts, the gentle flare of her hips—“the shape of your hull.”
“Get out of my bed.”
“Why? I really am most comfortable. Not as comfortable, of course, as I would be if you were to drop anchor beside me….”

Her skin tingled and flushed crimson. “I said, Get out of my bed!”
He suckled the juice from his fingers. “What, would you prefer to do it on the floor?”
“I’d prefer that you shut your mouth before I shut it for you!”
“Now that,” he said wickedly, “could be interesting….”

☠☠☠

About The Authors

Danelle Harmon

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Danelle Harmon started her career with Avon Books/Harper Collins in 1991, and has written sixteen books (with a seventeenth coming out in late spring of 2017). A recipient of numerous awards from RT/Romantic Times, Danelle and her family make their home in New England with four dogs, an Egyptian Arabian horse, and various other pets.

Danelle welcomes email from her readers and can be reached at Danelle@danelleharmon.com or you can find more information about Danelle at her WEBSITE

Barbara Devlin

USA Today Bestselling, Amazon All-Star author Barbara Devlin was born a storyteller, but it was a weeklong vacation to Bethany Beach, DE that forever changed her life. The little house her parents rented had a collection of books by Kathleen Woodiwiss, which exposed Barbara to the world of romance, and Shanna remains a personal favorite.
Barbara writes heartfelt historical romances that feature flawed heroes who may know how to seduce a woman but know nothing of marriage. And she prefers feisty but smart heroines who sometimes save the hero, before they find their happily ever after.

Barbara earned an MA in English and continued a course of study for a Doctorate in Literature and Rhetoric. She happily considered herself an exceedingly eccentric English professor, until success in Indie publishing lured her into writing, full-time, featuring her fictional knighthood, the Brethren of the Coast. You can find out more information about Barbara at her WEBSITE

Kamery Solomon

Kamery is not the person who grew up dreaming of the day that she would clutch her very own novel to her chest, tears brimming over the rims of her eyes as she thought about how she’d written it herself, finally! In fact, anything remotely like that didn’t even happen until she was actually holding her first book in her hand, amazed that she’d written it and wondering how on Earth she’d managed to do it when it hadn’t ever occurred to her to write one until months before. Surprisingly, though, it was just what she never realized she loved doing.

When starting out in life, Kamery had (and still has) big dreams to perform on Broadway. She loves music and acting very much, while she and dance have a love/hate relationship; she would love to do it and every form of dance decides it hates that about her, haha! The one constant she always had between the performing world and the book world were the stories, tales that transported her to other worlds and made her feel like she really could do anything. Finally, she decided she wanted to do that for someone else and sat down to write.

It’s been a few years since she held that first book, realizing that she really liked writing and wanted to do more, but the love that blossomed in that moment has only grown. Currently, Kamery works from home in Arizona, while taking care of her two adorable kids, a girl and a boy, and talking her sweet husband Jake’s ear off about the insane amount of characters in her head who are ready to fight to the death for a chance at their own novels. It truly is a wonderful life! You can find out more about Kamery at her WEBSITE

Katherine Bone

National best-selling historical romance author Katherine Bone has been passionate about history since she had the opportunity to travel to various Army bases, castles, battlegrounds, and cathedrals as an Army brat turned officer’s wife. Who knew that an Army wife’s passion for romance novels would lead to pirates? Certainly not her rogue, whose Alma Mater’s adage is “Go Army. Beat Navy!” Now enjoying the best of both worlds, Katherine lives in the south where she writes about rogues, rebels, and rakes—aka pirates, lords, captains, duty, honour, and country—and the happily-ever-afters that every alpha male and damsel deserve. You can find out more about Katherine and contact her at her WEBSITE

Amanda Mariel

USA Today Bestselling author Amanda Mariel dreams of days gone by when life moved at a slower pace. She enjoys taking pen to paper and exploring historical time periods through her imagination and the written word.

When Amanda is not writing she can be found reading, crocheting, traveling, practicing her photography skills, or spending time with her family.

Award winning author Chloe Flowers is married and lives in a small Ohio town with her best boyfriend ever, three children and two dogs: Luke and Indie. She writes and historical adventure romance, small town contemporary romance and Women’s Fiction.
After many years in the corporate environment managing marketing promotions for major consumer products companies, running a gourmet cookie company, Chloe broke free from the cubicle to write full-time.
She’s always been a Parrothead, loves to write while listening to Celtic music and when life gets too serious she reads Calvin and Hobbes comics.

Chloe lives in Ohio with two rambunctious dogs, Indiana and Luke, who are named after her two favorite action heroes. You can contact and find out more about Chloe at her WEBSITE

Jennifer Bray-Weber

Award-winning author Jennifer Bray-Weber is a proud native Texan. She is a married domestic goddess/beach bum with two beautiful daughters. The type to take on dares, she has been able to express her creative thinking through countless questionable, often hilarious, life experiences.

Her interests include writing, reading, traveling (what she likes to call “research”), horseback riding, scrapbooking, shopping, relaxing at the beach, and dares. You can contact and find out more about Jennifer at her WEBSITE

☠☠☠

Exclusive Interview with the Authors of the Romance on the High Seas

What hobbies or pastimes do you partake in to relax?

Danelle Harmon :I’m not sure it’s “relaxing,” but we own, and occasionally breed, German Shorthaired Pointers, and I’ve been heavily involved in the world of dog shows for over thirty years. I’ve shown several dogs to their championships and one of our puppies, now nearly three, was named for the hero of my book CAPTAIN OF MY HEART (Brendan) and takes both his registered and call name from that dashing privateer. I showed Brendan to his championship last year and he’s my pride and joy and constant shadow. I also have a small skiff whose lines and design were taken from a late 19th century small craft which I enjoy sailing – it’s one of my passions. I also enjoy plane spotting, photography, and reading.

Tell us about the genre you have chosen to write in and why you are drawn to it.

Barbara Devlin : I began my writing career in the Georgian and Regency eras tied to the Peninsular Wars, because I just felt drawn to those times. I lived in London, during my undergraduate studies, and I toured the Naval Academy at Greenwich. Later, I toured Wellington’s home in Hyde Park, and I was hooked.

What historical period have you not yet written about, but would like to?

Amanda Mariel :I would love to write in the medieval time period, I have a book underway that is set during the medieval period and I am very much enjoying researching and writing it. However, it is only about one third of the way written because my focus remains on the Victorian and Regency. I work on the medieval in-between releases and hope to release it sometime late in 2018.

If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?

Chloe Flowers :A grossly underpaid volleyball coach. I have been coaching for almost ten years. I did the math once and discovered that when I divided the total hours into the pay, I was making about $2.37 an hour.

What is your writing environment like?

Kamery Solomon : I have a desk in my front room that I normally write at. It’s got a Himalayan salt lamp on it, plus some other stones and gems to help with creativity and anxiety issues. There’s also a small pot full of pens and markers and a gift a reader sent me. The walls around it are covered in erasable calendars, white boards, cork boards, posters of my book covers, old maps, ship models, and other odds and ends that I like having around for ambience.

Do you have a favorite place you have traveled to? Or perhaps a place you long to visit?

Jennifer Bray-Weber :The Caribbean calls my name. I’ve visited 10 Caribbean islands. St. Lucia, St. Thomas, and Barbados have been my favorites so far but there are hundreds more I want to see. Visiting Italy is on my bucket list.

If you could meet any person living or dead, who would it be and why?

Katherine Bone :I’d want to meet Admiral Horatio Nelson and Lady Emma Hamilton! In a time when scandal meant the end to reputation and a place amongst the ton, these two lovers shrugged their shoulders at public convention and shared a deep passion no one understood.

Romance on the High Sea’s box set is out on 23rd May and available at Amazon and all related online stores.

*All excepts belong to authors and were kindly provided to Chicks Rogues and Scandals for this post. The interview is exclusive to Chicks Rogues and Scandals.

I don’t know. I didn’t come up with the name, Harlequin did. I do, however, love the name because it sounds Jackie Collins-ish. That may have made it worse to my understanding what the series will entail because if there ever was a legend she was it. I’m definitely not.
Oh, I know I’m supposed to have the answer to what the series is. After all, I’m the person at the keyboard. But the funny thing about creating something is it never feels as if it’s coming from you.

Certainly none of these characters or their stories, or the plots and intrigues and villains feel like they’re coming from me. It feels more like I’m just the medium for them to tell their story. Which now makes me sound like someone from Poltergeist, when all I am is someone trying to explain this while eating pretzels.

But I do have stories to tell, and there will be many in the Lovers and Legends series. So far, there are ten. I have a lot of voices in my head.
They are not written in chronological order, nor are they written in order of importance. They’re more like threads in a tapestry. They can be read separately, and each has their own Happily Ever After.

But everything hubs around The Knight’s Broken Promise, which introduces Robert of Dent, his friend Hugh, and the Colquhoun clan. All the people in that book will have their own stories, and the best part, you’ll see them again and again. For instance, you’ll be introduced to Gaira’s brother, Malcolm, in The Knight’s Broken Promise, hear about his grief in Her Enemy Highlander and struggles in The Highland Laird’s Bride. Eventually, he’ll have his own happily ever after, too.

What of the Legend? That’s first revealed in Her Enemy Highlander. It’s a Jewel, which has many myths attached to it. Thus, it becomes a powerful talisman for both good and evil. In The Highland Laird’s Bride, you’ll find its purpose. In Malcolm’s story, you’ll know what will become of it.

But before Malcolm’s story, there will be Rhain’s, who is brother to Teague, who is friends with Robert. And I’m currently writing Hugh’s story from The Knight’s Broken Promise for a later 2017 release.

I’m also trying (and failing) to rein myself in from talking about the other people and voices in my head. Yet someday, I hope to chat about them all while sharing my bag of pretzels.

In the meantime, I may not know exactly what the Lovers and Legends series is, but I’m typing it as fast as I can to find out.

On the 22nd September 2015 I received a call which changed my life. It was from Harlequin Mills & Boons, offering me a two book contract. The eighteen months before that had been different. I had resigned from my full time teaching job as head of history at a local secondary school and had begun to write part time. It had been a two-year experiment. Two years to see if I could follow my dream and make a serious go of writing, after which, if I failed, I would always have a serious profession to fall back on. For three days a week I did supply teaching, which I hated but it gave me the freedom and the time to write, while the precious months of my experiment sped by and I feared the worst.

But thankfully the call came. They loved That Despicable Rogue and, wonder of wonders, wanted another story, so on that momentous day I quietly ceased being a history teacher. I have not stepped into a classroom since. Instead, I began to write that tricky second book, full time, like a demon. I am sure most people would have been delighted to have received a publishing contract, and although I was, the worry about the second book created far more stress than the situation warranted. What if I was a one book wonder? What if they hated the second book and never offered me another contract? I would have to go back to teaching with my tail between my legs, knowing I had tried and failed to be a proper writer. I wrote Her Enemy at the Altar in six weeks, pressed send and waited for my editor’s judgement in a state of permanent angst.

As it turned out, I needn’t have worried. That book led to another contract- three this time- and as I wrote the next book the fear of failure began to lift. The Discerning Gentleman’s Guide came out of a random idea whilst watching history documentary entitled A Very British Romance on the BBC. Dr Lucy Worsley did a tiny segment on Georgian etiquette manuals, explaining how they were so obsessed with doing things correctly, hundreds of these books were published giving everyone advice on everything from how to write a letter to how to lay out your puddings at a dinner table. I found the concept hilarious and, as these things so often do, started to mull over the prospect of basing a story around one. My hero, Bennett Montague, has written a bestselling book called ‘The Discerning Gentleman’s Guide to Selecting the Perfect Bride’. It is filled with all of the nonsense typical of the age and completely underestimates women. Each chapter begins with one of his misguided pearls of wisdom. It stood to reason that my heroine Amelia had to be nothing like the perfect bride Bennett is seeking, and inevitably, chaos would ensue.

I loved writing that book. From the first word to the last the story just flowed and not once did I feel stressed about my abilities as a writer. Once again it was finished in six weeks and I began book four straight away. After Miss Bradshaw’s Bought Betrothal I began my first series, ‘The Wild Warriners’, feeling fairly confident that Harlequin Mills and Boon would want to buy the other three stories, and promptly took the entire summer off.

Ever since I was little and my beloved dog Pip died I had wanted another

Trevor

dog, but with a busy full time job and a husband who travels the world on business, I could never justify having one. Dogs need company and I did not think it was fair to force the poor thing to spend hours and hours every day alone in an empty house. However, now that I was a writer I could. Getting Trevor was a milestone. My gorgeous, good-natured and clumsy Labrador Retriever puppy signalled the official acknowledgment that my teaching career was well and truly over. Whether or not Harlequin offered me another contract, I was now completely committed to earning my living from writing. The alternative was unthinkable. No more long, pointless meetings. No more mountains of marking and no more Ofsted. Besides, I need to be at home because Trevor needs walking twice a day and we need to play tug and fetch, and he likes sleeping at my feet in my little office when I write. I can’t change his routine now!

I celebrated my anniversary as a proper writer by signing a new five book contract with Harlequin and I couldn’t be more thrilled about it. A Warriner to Protect Her comes out next May, and will be followed sometime after that by A Warriner to Rescue Her. At the moment, I am working on a standalone Christmas story for December 2017, then I will write the other two Warriner books. I have no idea what the final book of this contract will be. Hopefully, an idea will present itself to me just like it did for my Discerning Gentleman, but I’m not worried about it anymore. I have the best job in the world- what is there to be stressed about?

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